Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Part of my tribute to Alex Salmond’s ‘uncringing spirit’ in Scotland’s 98 year-old paper-based, to your door, non-aligned, pro-Independence newspaper

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In today’s Scots Independent, first published in November 1926, non-party aligned and posted to your door for £3.75 a month, https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ I have a media analysis column every month. They present the Oliver Brown Award (whisky decanter (empty!), for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect. The late Oliver Brown brought wit, scholarship, passion, ribaldry and the most uncringing spirit to the cause of Nationalism.https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=109 Sean Connery in 2012, Alex Salmond in 2014, me in 2022 (Imposter Syndrome attack) and Dr Philippa Whitford last year. More at: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116 Go on, go on, go on. Continue reading Part of my tribute to Alex Salmond’s ‘uncringing spirit’ in Scotland’s 98 year-old paper-based, to your door, non-aligned, pro-Independence newspaper

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Raw sewage including floating turds found in Scottish Labour communications pipe as official stats prove 90% of England’s water is dirty and 90% of ours is clean

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Chris Murray, new Labour MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (left – easy next to Ian Murray (?))eager to please, finds this maybe sewage (right) on the Portobello Beach: From the National, yesterday: NEW: A Labour MP has been told to ‘fact check first’ by members of the public after he falsely claimed there was a sewage leak in his constituency. Chris Murray had posted an image of what he believed to be a sewage leak at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh. https://x.com/ScotNational/status/1852341572257640502 Keir is desperate to balance out the raw sewage discharges between England and Scotland but it’s not easy. … Continue reading Raw sewage including floating turds found in Scottish Labour communications pipe as official stats prove 90% of England’s water is dirty and 90% of ours is clean

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Susan Dalgety misses the three woman who have really saved lives from cancer in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Former Jack McConnell spad and regular Scotsman fake news provider, Susan Dalgety, is front page today with: How three women are saving lives from cancer. Straight off, I thought she must be talking of those three Scottish health secretaries, Nicola Sturgeon, Shona Robison and Jeanne Freeman. Turns out it’s not them, yet: Scotland’s dramatically better cancer waiting times September 20th 2024, BBC UK’s Nick Triggle has: The cancers with longest treatment waits revealed with the above graph for NHS England data. I’ve added, where possible, equivalent Scottish data. While skin and prostate/kidney waiting times do seem slightly longer … Continue reading Susan Dalgety misses the three woman who have really saved lives from cancer in Scotland

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Premature and low birth weight babies surge in Scotland due to UK austerity – While poverty rates are ‘considerably higher’ in England thanks to SNP efforts, Labour risk making things worse again

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today: The introduction of UK austerity policies has been associated with a striking increase in the number of babies in Scotland being born smaller or earlier than expected, data suggests. Researchers believe cuts to social security benefits and services are key to understanding these trends, which have hit families living in the poorest neighbourhoods the hardest. and further down: Given that post-austerity poverty rates are actually fairly considerably higher in England, the expectation is that we will have seen similar trends there. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/02/uk-austerity-policies-premature-low-birth-weight-babies-scotland The Labour government’s early actions on, for example, keeping the two-child benefit cap … Continue reading Premature and low birth weight babies surge in Scotland due to UK austerity – While poverty rates are ‘considerably higher’ in England thanks to SNP efforts, Labour risk making things worse again

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The Cartunionist again with a Laboured joke

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As Labour fake generosity toward Scotland in the wake of their attacks on the poor, the Herald cartoonist offers another of his anti-SNP ‘humorous’ takes. Here’s a reminder of his previous: The Herald’s Steven Camley’s interpretation of the SNP leader’s performance in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Like the English cartoonists, he attempts to conceal the fact that the SNP had a substantive, serious, motion, on one of their only 3 days, based on years of consistent support for the human rights of the Palestinian people, hijacked by a bullied Labour Party speaker and his pro-Israel leader, to prevent … Continue reading The Cartunionist again with a Laboured joke

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Why is the British Labour Party failing to solve waiting lists/times issues in NHS Wales if the Party’s leadership in opposition in Scotland have the answers?

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By stewartb Misrepresentation – with associated hypocrisy- from the British Labour Party politicians both at UK and Scotland levels is not new; it has become endemic; it may well have assisted Labour’s success in Scotland at the recent GE; and there is little or no sign of it being countered effectively at scale as we approach the REALLY crucial Holyrood election in 2026. Meanwhile in Wales where the British Labour Party has been in power since the establishment of devolved government … Senedd Research – the research and information service supporting the Welsh parliament – on 4 October, 2024 published … Continue reading Why is the British Labour Party failing to solve waiting lists/times issues in NHS Wales if the Party’s leadership in opposition in Scotland have the answers?

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Union Flag badges to be put on all Labour direct investment projects in Scotland – third time lucky?

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From the National today: THE UK Government has announced plans for £1.4 billion of “direct investment” in Scotland over the next 10 years. The details of the funding, which will bypass Holyrood, were laid out by Scottish Labour on Friday. Many of the announcements are confirmations of “levelling up” funding, a project begun under the Tories. The UK Government replaced EU funding – which had been controlled by the Scottish Government pre-Brexit – with funding that they directly controlled. Labour councillors are thought to be concerned that locals might think these are SNP projects and so, Billy ‘King’ Fullarton of Kilwinning has demanded that Union flag … Continue reading Union Flag badges to be put on all Labour direct investment projects in Scotland – third time lucky?

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Rachel Reeves allowed to say ‘Frankly the performance of the NHS in Scotland under the SNP is worse than in any part of the United Kingdom’ unchecked by facts that it’s the exact opposite

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Thanks to stewartb for alerting me to this: Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor for the Exchequer in a BBC Radio Scotland interview with Gary Robertson, October 31: “… frankly the performance of the NHS in Scotland under the SNP is worse than in any part of the United Kingdom”. Source: https://x.com/i/status/1851917541041430825 How LOW is the leadership of the British Labour Party willing to sink in its lies and deceit? And can BBC Scotland get anymore useless – any more biased – as it fails again to hold a Westminster government minister to account regarding their dealings towards Scotland, even on such … Continue reading Rachel Reeves allowed to say ‘Frankly the performance of the NHS in Scotland under the SNP is worse than in any part of the United Kingdom’ unchecked by facts that it’s the exact opposite

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The A9 funding – regardless, deaths plummet, dualed sections no more safe and Scotland’s roads are safest in UK but BBC Scotland try to deceive you with out-of-date statistics

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland all day today: A group of MSPs say they are concerned not enough money will be available to complete a £3bn project to dual the A9 between Inverness and Perth by 2035. In a new report, a Holyrood committee said wrangles over funding had already “significantly” contributed to the original 2025 target being missed. Convener and Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw said there was “no conspiracy to frustrate” the road but there been a lack of scrutiny and focus. and Single carriageway sections are being dualled to improve journey times and safety. In 2022, … Continue reading The A9 funding – regardless, deaths plummet, dualed sections no more safe and Scotland’s roads are safest in UK but BBC Scotland try to deceive you with out-of-date statistics

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Channel 4 News vaguely locates an organised crime plague entirely from England, in Glasgow and links it to Scottish Government responsibility

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. Channel 4 News tonight had a special on County Lines gangs. From Police Scotland in 2019: The charity Crime-stoppers is today 14th January 2019 launching a campaign to highlight the pain and suffering that criminals from English cities are inflicting on vulnerable people in Scotland’s rural and coastal towns. The campaign aims to raise awareness of County Lines, which is when criminals from major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, London and Birmingham are expanding their drug networks to other areas, bringing with it serious criminal behaviour such as violence, exploitation and abuse. The … Continue reading Channel 4 News vaguely locates an organised crime plague entirely from England, in Glasgow and links it to Scottish Government responsibility